Mayawati waits for clear picture on Presidential nominees

NEW DELHI, May 20, 2012

Former U.P. Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati is keeping her cards on the Presidential election close to her chest, refusing to disclose her preferences even as the race for the top post shows signs of interesting developments.



"So far as nominees for the President's post are concerned, our party is keeping a close watch on them. Both the ruling UPA and the opposition NDA have not finalised their candidates. Let us see who their nominees are. The picture is still not clear,'' she told journalists at a press conference here on Saturday, her first in the national Capital after losing Assembly polls in U.P.



When asked about the entry of former Lok Sabha Speaker and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Purno A. Sangma into the Presidential race, the BSP president said it would be too premature to make any comment on anyone.



However, the BSP chief offered to support a candidate for the post of President who fits into her party's "line of movement.'' She did not take any names though the names of Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari and Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee are on the table of the Congress for the Presidential election, slated for July.



"As soon as the candidates of the UPA and NDA are clear, we will take a decision to support a candidate who suits BSP's line of movement. When it is not clear who is the candidate of UPA or NDA, what should I say about the merits or demerits of a particular candidate,'' Ms. Mayawati, who is also a Rajya Sabha member and chairperson of BSP Parliamentary Party, said.



BSP has 21 members in the Lok Sabha and 15 members in the Rajya Sabha. It also has 80 members in the U.P. State Legislative Assembly.



To a question if she would take initiative in forming a non-UPA, non-NDA alliance for the 2014 general elections, the BSP supremo said she had not given a thought to it, adding that she would not fall in such traps.
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